14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has been long rumored to plan the launch of a new flavor of the Windows Phone 8 operating system before the end of the year, and what appears to be a list of changes that the update will include has emerged online.
Available courtesy of a Reddit user, the release notes for the OS upgrade show that it might actually arrive on devices as a minor update, despite the fact that it will deliver support for better hardware.
To be more precise, GDR3 has been said a few times before to pack support for 1080p touchscreen displays, as well as for new mobile processors.
Given these new capabilities, the platform would make it inside larger smartphones, packing better resolution displays and more powerful processors.
As WMPoweruser notes, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore has already confirmed that the company was looking into expanding the type of hardware supported by the platform, although no specific details on the matter have been provided as of now.
The list of changes also includes:
- Orientation Lock - Driver Mode, will turn on automatically when you connect it via Bluetooth. Can reject phone calls / sms and send auto reply back - Ability to have 3 medium sized tiles in a row - 1080p / new SoCs
Furthermore, Microsoft is said to be testing some other new features for the platform as well, though it’s uncertain whether it will include them inside the final build.
Among these, there would be the option to close apps via multi-tasking, along with a silent NFC (meaning no more constant confirmations for pairing something).
According to The Verge, Microsoft is also considering the option to sync text messages with the desktop and the web in GDR3. Changes to the network indicator logos might also be included inside it.
The news site also claims that the update will arrive on new devices first, but that it will be released to existing ones as well, before the end of this year. The OS should be ready by mid-September, and could be launched on Nokia’s rumored large smartphone first.